Witchcraft
by DanaPod
Summary: Inspired by episode 6x15, Castle and Beckett sing karaoke in the Hamptons. Richard Castle had one goal in mind as he walked into the dim, beachside bar in the Hamptons, it was something he had been trying to arrange, unsuccessfully, for months now—convince Kate Beckett to sing karaoke with him.
1. Chapter 1

**Inspired by Episode 6x15, Smells Like Teen Spirit. Castle and Beckett sing karaoke in the Hamptons. **

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Richard Castle had one goal in mind as he walked into the dim, beachside bar in the Hamptons, it was something he had been trying to arrange, unsuccessfully, for months now—convince Kate Beckett to sing karaoke with him. Whether he would do so by using his charm and the playful, boyish smile he knew she secretly adored or just a lot of alcohol was still up for debate.

He had come close to coercing her onstage one previous evening about a month back. They were at a dive bar a few blocks from the precinct with Ryan, Esposito, and Lanie, tucked into a corner booth, his arm casually wrapped around her shoulder as she nursed her third glass of wine. When the DJ made a last call for singers, Castle jumped out of his seat and headed toward the stage, with Ryan and Esposito enthusiastically hooting from the sidelines. He grabbed the microphone and gestured to her to join him on stage as the intro to Bohemian Rhapsody vibrated through the small crowd. She silently mouthed "no," her hands held up in protest, but a shove from Lanie hoisted her from the booth, and the applause from the onlookers urged her forward. She was about to step onto the stage when her foot got tangled in a wayward wire, sending both her and the stereo equipment hurtling toward the floor. A loud, static, crackling sound cut through the thrumming base, and with a final, high-pitched ping, like the sound of a bell ringing, the room fell silent. Castle jumped off the stage and helped her to her feet, noticing the crimson color flood her cheeks. Beckett laughed nervously, brushed her pants off and sulked back to the booth openly declaring that that was the closest she was ever getting to an open microphone again. "Saved by the bell," she joked, as they road the taxi back to the loft.

When Castle saw the community newsletter hanging from the bulletin board of his favorite Hampton's coffee spot, he was elated to see the page-long advertisement for the annual karaoke contest. He had entered almost every year since he purchased the large, beachside property, often with Alexis or his mother. The event always proved to be one of the highlight of the summer. Without thinking he scribbled their names down under "Duets," figuring he'd have a week to convince her to join him. But the perfect opportunity never presented itself, as perfect opportunities rarely do, and as they strolled toward the bar, hand in hand, enjoying the bright pinks and oranges painted across the sky, he couldn't help but wonder if he'd be making the trip home alone.

When he pushed open the bar's front door, an antique style door that creaked from years of salt water and sea wind, he saw a small chalkboard hanging on the wall opposite the entrance. In keeping with the beach theme, it was rimmed with drift wood, and pink and sea foam green shells mingled among bits of fake seaweed. Reading the sign he felt his pulse quicken, and he swiftly turned around to face Kate, nearly toppling over her as she continued walking forward, her eyes scanning the tables for a familiar face.

"What are you doing, Castle?" She steadied herself on Castle's arms, standing close enough that she could pick up the scent of his cologne mixing with their lavender fabric softener. It was intoxicating.

Castle grabbed her hands and sheepishly inched back until the top of his head was covering the very bottom of the sign. He wondered if he was hiding the two words bound and determined to give away his devious plan, or if his head was just serving to underline them with his brown tresses.

"Is something wrong?" Kate pushed back and put her hand on her hip, a beaded hand bag resting on the curve of her waist. "Did you want to go somewhere else?" Castle was momentarily mesmerized by the intensity in her eyes, the confusion mixed with concern. Please don't let her see the sign he chanted over and over again, squirming awkwardly as he gestured into the center of the room at nothing in particular.

Kate followed his outstretched arm with her eyes and Castle used the momentary distraction to try and pull her toward a cluster of tables toward the back. The second he stepped away from the board though, her eyes darted up, catching the two words his awkward song and dance routine failed to conceal.

"Karaoke contest." Her voice was ripe with indignation. Castle stopped dead in his tracks, like a dear in the crosshairs. Because maybe if he didn't move, maybe if he just stood still enough she would forget what she had read and continue walking with him, no harm done. "Castle." Her voice was firm, parental. He slowly turned toward her, his eyes averted. "Is this your attempt to get me to sing?" She cocked her eyebrow, and he knew he would never be able to get away with lying.

Castle scuffled his shoes across the floor, stepping aside to let more people through the door. "Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" He deflected in the most obvious way possible.

"Castle." Only Kate could convey so much by just saying his name. He shoved his hands in his pockets, waiting for the rebuke.

"Listen, Kate, we can go somewhere else. Somewhere quieter. More romantic. More…" She pressed her palm to his mouth, a devilish smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Castle." He stopped talking, hearing a hint of excitement in the way she said his name this time. "I was going to say, if you thought by bringing me here you could get me to sing karaoke," she paused, tugging at his wrist to dislodge it from his pocket as she led him toward the bar, "I'd like to see you try." She flashed him a smile and took a seat, her voice playful and not at all angry. Castle felt giddy.

He sat down next to her at the bar, laying his hand across her exposed thigh, and she placed her hand over his. He waved to the bartender who was distractedly drying glasses at the other end of the bar, and then leaned toward her and locked eyes. He dropped his voice an octave and furrowed his eyebrows, the way he often did when he was about to try to seduce her in bed. "Challenge accepted."

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**Please let me know what you think! More to come!**


	2. Chapter 2

"So what would it take to convince you to get up on that stage with me?" Castle nodded to the wall opposite the bar where a makeshift stage stood. The DJ was already off to the side setting up his equipment, fiddling with a large projector set to display the lyrics.

Kate looked down at her glass of pinot noir, swirling the ruby liquid around and up the sides the way the sommelier had shown her when she and Castle stopped at a small vineyard café for lunch last summer. _'Sommelier,'_ Castle had repeated in a haughty, French accent when the wine expert returned to the kitchen, _'I'm pretty sure that's French for likes to drink a lot.'_ She had laughed then and a small giggle escaped her mouth at the memory.

"What's so funny?" Castle asked, taking a long, slow sip from his tumbler.

Kate quickly covered, "the fact that you think I'm just going to tell you how to convince me to sing with you." She rolled her eyes, scrunching her face in amusement and pushed back on the stool, coyly crossing her arms over her chest. "Seriously, Castle, did you really think I would be that easy?"

Castle snickered. "I'm not really sure what the appropriate response to that would be." Kate gently swatted at him and he held up his hands in defense.

"_No_, Castle. The appropriate response is _no_."

"I don't know," he grazed the back of his hand across her upper arm, "I can think of more than one occasion when…"

"Castle." She picked up a menu and held it in the space between them, the flimsy, anchor-adorned paper as substantial as her anger. She needed it more to conceal the cheek to cheek grin plastered across her face that those memories spurred. Because when it came to Castle, especially when it came to making Castle happy, she was easy. But where was the fun in letting him know that just yet.

Castle's silhouette appeared on the menu, the angle of the lights elongating his features so that his nose and chin jutted out, making him look like a caricature of himself. She wished she had a pencil to trace the outline.

Castle scooted closer to the paper barrier. It reminded him of the old-fashioned confession booth he was forced into once at the Catholic prep school he attended briefly—the raspy breathing of the priest on the other side urging him to say the Lord's Prayer five times in penance. If he would have known that's all it took for God to forgive a sixteen year old Richard Rodgers for taking the principal's car for a joyride, he would have gotten into even more trouble.

Calling on that one time experience Castle began, "forgive me Beckett, for I have sinned." His tone was serious, like his soul's salvation depended on this confession. He waited behind the menu to see if Kate was going to play along.

"And what is the nature of your sin?" She mirrored his tone, stifling a laugh to get into character. She tried to slyly peak around the menu to see if he had the somber expression to match his voice, but Castle saw the paper rustle and she was left with only a glimpse of his elbow before it was yanked back in front of her face.

Where to start, he thought. He crafted a mental copy of his confession, of the story he was going to weave about how they just happened to be signed up to sing already, but crumpled up the rough draft, opting for a more straight forward approach. "So, we…that is, you and I…I mean us…"

"Out with it, Castle."

"We're already signed up to sing in the contest." Castle held his breath, counted to five, letting the information sink in. When he didn't get a response, he took it as a good sign and ventured on. "We've actually been signed up for a week now."

Beckett dropped the menu, squinting her eyes at him, but Castle hastily pulled their fictitious curtain back into place. "And it didn't occur to you to tell me this at any point in the last seven days?"

"Oh it occurred to me on multiple occasions. But thinking about doing something and actually doing that something are two entirely different things. Like when I think about writing, sit down at my computer, put my fingers on the keys, but then nothing. I end up staring at a blank screen for hours."

"So instead of writer's block we're going to call this what…thoughtful, considerate fiancé block?"

Castle fidgeted in his seat and held up his empty glass to the bartender signaling for another drink. "Can we just skip ahead to the part where you tell me how to make it up to you?"

"I don't know Castle, I kind of like watching you squirm." He could hear the smile in her voice, the way it quivered just slightly and jumped a pitch higher as she fought back laughter.

"Let's be honest. You like to watch me do just about anything. It's okay to admit, Beckett, I'm know I'm easy on the eyes." He peered over the menu, shooting her with his best intense stare.

Kate placed her hand over her mouth, feeling like she was trying to suppress a speeding train from barreling out. Castle's expression, which she guessed was his best attempt at smoldering, looked more like the eyes of a possessed, serial-killer doll than a sexy underwear model. She tossed the menu on the bar, roiling with laughter. Castle, convinced he had sold sexy, sat there looking pleased with himself.

"So you're not mad?" he asked when her laughter finally trickled into gasping breathes.

"No, not mad. But also not ready to climb on that stage when the DJ calls our names." She leaned in and gave him a quick, conciliatory peck on the cheek.

Castle glanced at his watch. "So it's just after seven. The contest starts at eight. That gives me about an hour to persuade you just how fun this will be." He rolled his shirt sleeves up to just below his elbow, stretched his arms forward, cracking each knuckle as he rolled his head in circles. He looked like he was warming up for the big game, maybe preparing to perform a twelve-hour surgery.

Kate watched, amused by the pageantry of his preparation. "I'm listening."

"The way I see it, there are four possible ways to get you on that stage." He held up a finger. "One, I bribe you." Kate thoughtfully nodded, imagining the myriad of ways she could utilize an 'I owe you.' Castle held up another finger. "Two, I flatter you." Castle held up a third finger, grabbed his new tumbler of scotch and pinged it against Kate's glass of wine. "Three, I get you to down about five more glasses of wine in the next," he looked at his watch again, "fifty-three minutes and counting."

Kate took a small sip of wine and set the glass back down. "And the fourth?"

Castle's gaze grew intense again. "I use my Jedi mind tricks, of course," he deadpanned. "Ladies' choice, which will it be."

Kate bit her lower lip, her features drawn together as she contemplated her choices. She ran her fingers up and down the stem of the glass, picked it up and downed the remaining wine.

"So number three it is." Castle's face registered gleeful surprise.

Kate pushed back from her seat and stood up. "Not quite so fast," she said, grabbing his drink from him and setting it on the bar. "I was thinking more along the lines of flattery."

"Then where are we going," he asked, as she led him toward the entrance.

"The beach of course." They stepped outside into the comparative silence of the parking lot, the white light from the full moon cutting through the yellow glare of the overhead lights. Kate looked up into the sky, closing her eyes almost as if she could feel heat radiating from the lifeless rock the same way it would from the sun. "As one of New York's former most eligible bachelors, you of all people should know a woman is much more susceptible to flattery during a moonlit stroll." She opened her eyes and smiled up at him, wrapped her arm around his waist, and headed toward the paved path that led to the water.

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**Please let me know what you think! Also, if you've been reading my other fanfiction "Foward Motion" don't worry, I haven't abandoned it. I just wanted to write something for a few days that wasn't so case driven. **


	3. Chapter 3

The early September heat saturated the stagnant air leading up to the boardwalk, and Kate felt like she was cutting through a fog of sticky, wet cobwebs that clung to her exposed skin as she walked. Her dark blue, floral sun dress was sticking to the sides of her of legs, inching its way up her thigh, and she reached down to fan it out, imagining how good it would feel to step into the cooler ocean breeze.

It had been a few weeks now since she was fired from her job at the Attorney General's office, although when she recounted the events surrounding that day, she still couldn't bring herself to say _fired_. She preferred _honorably discharged_. She recalled Castle's words to her the night Agent McCord let her go, as she nestled into his side on the couch, feeling wounded and lost. _"Kate," _he said, his fingers running through her hair the way her mom used to do when she was sick as a child, _I can only imagine how hard this is for you right now. But I want you to remember who you tell me it is you fight for. Not the bureaucrats trying to save face. Not the administrative number crunchers analyzing solve rates. Not even for yourself. You do it for the victims. To not honor that would go against everything you believe in." _The fact that honoring the victim left her unemployed was another matter entirely. One she was still trying to come to terms with.

They crossed over the last sand dune, the normal deep blue of the ocean looking black as coal under the night sky, and the temperature instantly dropped ten degrees. Castle could feel the beads of perspiration evaporating off his forehead. He kicked off his sandals, and shoved them down into the sand beside the boardwalk, before offering Kate a hand so she could shimmy out of hers. When he looked over he saw a detached, unfocused look in her eyes, the pools of her irises as deep and dark as the ocean. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

Kate plunged her toes into the sand, still warm from the recently set sun, and leaned back into Castle. He tucked his chin onto her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her torso as they stared out into the water.

"Life," she said, unsure how to describe the whirlwind of emotions. She suddenly wished they were still inside the bar where the torrent of laughter and voices of strangers could drown out of her thoughts.

"You mean how great ours is going to be?" There wasn't a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Instead it was calm and steady, matter-of-fact.

Kate felt a twinge of regret over her unspoken feelings—over how unjustified they seemed. She could hear here father's voice, as clear as if he were standing next to her on the beach say, "_Katie, someone always has it worse_." It was his favorite line to deliver when a teenaged Kate Beckett complained about the unfairness of a ten o'clock curfew or of not being allowed out of the house in her skin-tight, leather pants. The sentiment was true then, and it was true now, but that never made her hurt any less. It usually just heaped guilt on top of the hurt until she couldn't tell if she felt bad about feeling bad or just plain old felt bad.

Nestling her body further into Castle's torso, she took a deep breath. "I know _our_ life is going to be great, Castle. It's _my _life I'm a little worried about."

Castle unwound his arms. "Come on, let's walk and talk," he said grabbing Kate's hand and leading her toward the shoreline. He waited until the cool, ocean waves were lapping at their ankles before he spoke again. "Tell me what's on your mind," he pressed, learning long ago that the best course of action is always to listen first, and advise later.

"I feel like I don't know who I am anymore without my job." She picked up a piece of drift wood and tossed it into the water. "Like I'm just drifting aimlessly, without a clear purpose."

"And what would you like your purpose to be?" He pulled their intertwined hands up and kissed the back of her hand.

"I don't know. I guess the same as it was before—to help people." She paused, feeling her words were clichéd, trite even. "It's more than that though. Rick," she stopped walking and turned to face him, "when I decided to become a detective, I did it because I couldn't imagine doing anything else. After what happened to my mom, it was the only path that made sense, the only path that let me feel whole again."

"And now you feel as though you're broken?" Castle's voice was shaky, like he was afraid to hear the answer.

"No." Her response was immediate, her voice solid and self-assured, and Castle breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't feel broken. I haven't since I let you completely into my life." She smiled weakly at him.

"Isn't this flattery thing supposed to be going the other way?" Castle teased, and Kate swung her foot through the water splashing the hem of his khakis.

"Castle, let me finish."

"Sorry."

"I was going to say I don't feel broken, but I do feel a little lost. And as much as marrying you gives my life purpose and meaning, attaching myself to you till death do us part just makes me feel more driven to find purpose professionally, to help even more people. And being a detective is the best way I know how to do that." They stood there, face to face, letting the rush of the ocean breeze swirl around them and Castle could swear he saw a faint trail of a tear glistening in the moonlight. "Castle," her voice was shaking slightly, "sometimes it just seems like nothing in life is easy. Like I have to fight, whether against my circumstances or myself, for every inch I gain. I'm tired of everything being so hard. I'm tired of self-sabotaging."

Castle heard the defeat in Kate's voice. Saw the effort she was expending to hold the tears at bay. Watching her teeter on this precipice of despair was heart breaking.

Castle looked down into the sand and picked up a rock, his writer's mind spinning. He held it up until the moonlight reflected off its fractured surface. "The way I see it, you were a lot like this stone—rough and jagged." He clenched his palm around the rock, and winced as a sharp edge dug into his skin. "Sometimes abrasive." He smiled, peering sideways in time to catch the hint of a smile cross her lips. "And then this happened." He flung the rock out into the ocean, and it disappeared under the dark, foamy surface. "Bad things—things out of your control, things you can't possibly see coming—pull you out to sea. Sometimes you flounder. Sometimes you tread water, barely keeping your nose above the surface. And sometimes, you sink. But do you know what ultimately happens after all of that time spent underwater?" He turned to face Kate, her eyes downturned, arms wrapped around her body like she was using all her strength to hold it together.

"What's that?" She kicked at the sand dislodging another rock and Castle bent down to pick it up.

"This." He held the new rock up, and she was forced to lift her gaze. Castle grabbed her hand, unclenching the fingers, and placed the rock in her palm. Kate inspected the new rock, noticing how different it was from the one he had just thrown into the water. The jagged edges were worn down, the rough, bumpy patches abraded into a porcelain smooth surface. "Everything you've gone through," Castle continued, "helped to transform you into the woman that I love. The trials have only made you stronger, more resolute, more focused. They've chipped away the parts of you that weren't doing you any service. You may think they've left you scarred, left you adrift" he reached out and cupped her cheek with his hand, running his thumb in circles over the delicate, smooth skin, "but all I see is a woman ready to take on any challenge life throws at her."

Kate felt overrun with emotions, like those people who, upon hearing good news, can't decide if they want to laugh or cry and so they do both simultaneously. She clenched the rock in her hand, her eyes locked on Castle's. She had said she wanted flattery when they started out toward the beach, but she had gotten so much more. She slowly leaned in, feeling pulled to Castle like the waves to the shore, her lips grazing his.

Castle waited, enjoying the light, tickling sensation, the slow buildup a stark contrast to his rapidly beating heart. It was only the serenity created by her close proximity, standing in the eye of the storm, that let him see how on edge he was before. He watched the moonlight dance across her eyes, and wondered how he had never noticed the small flecks of gold mixed in with the brown and green.

Closing her eyes, Kate closed the space between them, her lips pressed firmly against his, soft and warm. She dropped the rock and reached up, running her hands through his wind tussled hair, her fingertips massaging his scalp before coming down to rest on his shoulders. She could feel Castle's hands gently tracing circles around her back, pulling her body flush with his until not even the whipping wind could come between them. She felt safe. She felt secure. She felt found.

Castle slowly pulled back, his lips twisting into a smile, and Kate was looking up at him, her features peaceful, the thought lines that normally creased her forehead gone.

"I love you," she said, "for everything."

"I love you too." He mirrored her smile, taking a mental pictures of them, two halves made whole, framed in moonlight. "Shall we?" He extended his elbow.

The corner of Kate's mouth twisted into a half smile. "Shall we what, Castle? Walk back to the bar? Sure. Enjoy a night of karaoke from the comfort of our seats? Definitely. Get up on stage and sing that duet you've been practicing solo all week long?"

"Is "D" all of the above a choice?"

"I don't know, what sorts of bribes do you have up your sleeve?"

"What! But I…but you…the flattery thing...come on Beckett that's not fair," he shouted after her as she took off ahead of him down the beach. Turning to look over her shoulder she stuck her tongue out and took off running.

"First one to the boardwalk gets to decide whether or not we grace the stage with our presence."

Castle shook his head, thinking about maintaining his leisurely pace, but the sight of Kate, carefree and laughing, sprinting through the sand sent of jolt of energy into his muscles, and he took of running after her. As the boardwalk came into sight, and victory sure to be his, Castle suddenly tripped over his own feet, spraying sand into the air.

Kate, gasping to catch her breath, leaned over the handrail twisting her mouth into a pout. "Looks like we're moving on to bribery," she laughed and headed up the boardwalk toward the bar.

Castle stood up, brushed the sand of his pants and smiled. "Looks like we are," he shouted after her, silently patting himself on the back for selling his fall so well. Because if Kate was willing to play along, then so was he.

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**Please let me know what you think. Did this stray too much from a fluffy, fun story or did you like the more serious notes?**


	4. Chapter 4

The lights in the bar had dimmed since they left, and Castle found himself squinting into the darkness in search of an open table. With only fifteen minutes until the competition started, the crowd had nearly doubled, and Castle had to press his body flush against the wall, Kate's hand in his, as they made their way to two empty seats tucked into the back corner

"Ladies first," Castle said, pulling out a chair. "And in case you were wondering, that's L-A-D-I-E-S, as in Lovely, Ambitious, Detective I'll Entice to Sing."

Kate smiled broadly, taking a seat. "Were you working on that one the whole way back?" She looked up at him suspiciously.

"Pffft. As if I would ever come up with rehearsed, witty one-liners. That right there was my spontaneous creative genius at work." Castle's face scrunched up into mock indignation while he struggled to maintain eye contact with Kate.

She stared him down the way she might a suspect in interrogation, her eyes full of skepticism, until his somber veneer began to crack, revealing a guilty grin. "You were saying?" she challenged.

"Okay so maybe I came up with that while we were on the way back…or you know, the day I signed us up to sing." He shrugged timidly, looking like a puppy that just got busted chewing up a new pair of shoes. "Just now…on the way back…a week ago…what's the difference?"

Kate reached up and gently tugged his shirt, pulling him down toward her until she could plant a kiss on his cheek. She wrapped her hand around his neck and whispered into his ear. "The difference is that I think I love you a little more for all the effort." She released his shirt, and he stood back up, looking more smug than guilty. "Now how about you go get us some drinks. And in case you were wondering, that's D-R-I-N-K-S, as in…this Detective Really Is Not Kidding."

"You forgot the S." She shot him a less than amused glance.

"Okay, how about Dreamy Rick Is Now Kindly Sassing?"

"Oh, I know." He leaned down until his lips were pressed against her ear. "Drinking Really Inspires Novel Kinky Sex." She playfully pushed him back, her face flushed as if the whole bar had heard him. "And this is why I'm the writer and you're the muse."

"Castle." His name sounded like an audible eye-roll. "So is that your first attempt at bribery?" She smirked, thrumming her fingers on the table.

"What, kinky sex?" She shrugged, noncommittally. "Would it work?" He leaned over the table looking suddenly much more interested. She shrugged again.

"I'll guess you'll have to wait and find out," she teased, and Castle let out a quick puff of air. "So how about those drinks?" she motioned to the bar, and Castle dashed off, a man on a mission. He returned with two large glasses sporting umbrellas. "I see you went with the manliest drink on the menu." She plucked the paper garnish from her drink and twirled it between her fingers.

"End of the summer house special. The bartender said it's guaranteed to make you tipsy, which I'm guessing just means they dump in whatever almost empty bottles they have, mix in some sweet and sour, and call it good." He took a long sip, his face puckering from the tangy mixture. "Although I'm not going to complain, this is good, manly umbrella or not." He snatched his own umbrella and slid it behind his ear, knowing it would make Kate laugh.

With a high-pitched screech, the microphone kicked on and a young man bounded onto the stage. His attire was a combination of laidback surfer dude meets East coast prep school—a head of long, wavy blonde hair and boardshorts clashed with his pale pink button up, Ralph Lauren cashmere cardigan, and boat shoes.

"Welcome everyone," he said, the slight drawl in his voice indicating he was more likely the summer help desperately trying to fit in than a trust fund kid who just got done with a day of surfing. "We'll be starting up the competition shortly. If you're signed up, but haven't made your song selection yet, I suggest you do so in the next ten minutes."

"So I suppose you already selected the song too," Kate said, taking a long draw from her straw. She scooted her chair closer to Castle until her hand was resting on his knee. She liked the closeness—craved it really—the reassurance of his body next to hers, solid and strong, amidst the bedlam of noisy bar patrons and clanking glasses.

Castle turned his body toward Kate, leaning into her touch. "I have not," he said, matter-of-factly. "I decided to leave that one up to you."

"You mean you decided you might need one last trick up your sleeve, one last carrot to dangle so to speak, in case I wanted to bale on you." She eyed him accusatorily, the hint of a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth.

"Well when you put it like that…" He raised his hands in defense.

"Fine." She squeezed his knee before standing. "But only because I have the perfect song in mind...for _you_, don't get any ideas about me caving that easily." She smiled and bit into her lower lip, unable to hide her excitement, and Castle suddenly feared he had made a big mistake.

"Uh, Kate," he shouted after her as she made her way to the DJ booth, "can we agree no Spice Girls?" His mind flashed to an awkward performance of Wannabe that he did with Alexis during her girl-power phase. "Oh and no Abba…And no nineties boy bands." His voice sounded pleading and desperate. "And no Shania Twain—especially not Shania Twain."

Kate returned to the table a couple minutes later, and slid back into her seat, nuzzling against Castle. "So you were saying to definitely pick a Spice Girls' song, right?" She playfully bumped his side, beaming. Castle shot her a terrified glance, and Kate clenched her lips together, trying to hold back laughter.

"You didn't." Castle's eyes widened further. "Did you?" Kate looked at him innocently, her hand now covering her mouth to hide the revealing smile. "This is my payback, isn't it?" He slumped back into his seat looking dejected, and Kate couldn't maintain the charade any longer.

"Kidding, Castle." She burst out laughing, clapping her hands together. "Baby Spice doesn't need to make an encore performance tonight."

Castle exhaled, relieved, then sharply inhaled as her words caught up with him. "Wait, how do you know?"

Kate's giggling parlayed into a deep, belly laugh and she found herself clasping the table for support, her eyes watering from the pressure. "Let's just say a certain red head might have shown me a home video not too long ago."

"Alexis." Her name came out sounding like a betrayal, although he secretly loved that she and Kate had found something to bond over—even if that something was his inability to pull off a mini-skirt and four inch heels.

"Don't blame Alexis," Kate quickly interjected, "I had to practically beg her to show me. And even then she kept pointing out how much of a good sport you were for going along with it. Besides," she leaned her head on Castle's shoulder, peering up at him through long, mascara-laced lashes, "I think the heels really accentuated your shapely calves." She reached below the table and traced her fingers along his calf muscle and up the length of his thigh. The light, tickling sensation sent a rush of heat through his core, and, with reluctance, he was forced to grab her hand and pull it above the table before the sensation migrated farther south.

"You know, there are more of those videos if you're interested," he enticed, letting the information hang in the space between them, like bait hanging from a hook. "They could be yours for the taking if you decide to sing with me." He looked hopefully at her.

"And rob Alexis and me of our future bonding time?" She tried her best to sound aghast. "I'll pass." She lifted her head off his shoulder and pushed back a little in her chair, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "What else do you got?"

Castle's rubbed his hands together, excitedly. "I got it. You love the red Ferrari. What if I let you drive us around the city in it for the next month?"

"The Ferrari…seriously? Do I look like Esposito and Ryan?"

"Thankfully, no." Castle raised his hand to his chin, skimming over the stubble that was starting to show. "I know, breakfast in bed for the next month. You can't tell me that's something I offer to Ryan or Esposito."

Kate thought about it for a moment. "Nice idea, but I'd like to think I'm going to get my job back eventually. Breakfast in bed implies I have nothing better to do than….well…than to eat breakfast in bed."

"And that's a bad thing because…?" Castle shot her a confused look and Kate tilted her head to the side, her eyes narrowing. "Okay, fine," Castle relented. "Then how about I bribe you with a lack of breakfast in bed. In fact, how about I call you every morning before sunrise and tell you that there is a case and Detective Beckett is the only one who can solve it." Castle stretched his fingers into an imaginary telephone and pretended to make a call. "Beckett, forget that gorgeous, naked man laying in bed next you, there's been a murder."

"Since when do you sleep naked?" She smiled at the image.

"Since you got up there," he pointed to the stage, "and sang with me." Castle's face read 'gotcha' and he waited for Kate to concede.

Kate looked down into her drink and swirled the straw around, buying time. She was having a hard time coming up with a reason to turn down his offer—one that either she or Castle would find believable. "Alright, Castle," she said, lifting her glass up in the air, "I accept your offer." Castle, delighted by the turn of events, picked up his drink, ready to toast to the agreement when Kate pulled her glass back. "But only on one condition."

Castle held his glass suspended in midair and his face tightened up. The giddy, self-assured tone in his voice became tentative. "And that condition would be?" He drew the last word out, as if by stalling he could delay the inevitable.

"One you will only find out only after we're done singing." She smiled coyly as her fingers surfed the rim of her glass. "What do you say?"

Castle considered her offer. He didn't know what exactly Kate had in mind, but if laying in bed naked next her was considered _him _bribing _her_, he could totally get on board with whatever other crazy condition she had in mind. He lifted his glass and downed the rest of its contents. "It's a deal."

* * *

**Finished this chapter while I let my DVR record enough of the new Castle episode that I can fast forward through commercials. Am I the only one who does this? **

**Please let me know what you think of the latest chapter? Any guesses on what Beckett's "condition" will be? :)**


	5. Chapter 5

By the time the first few solo acts took to the stage, Castle was feeling the effects of the alcohol. His cheeks felt warm to the touch. His brain felt a little hazy, like he was on the verge of waking up from a great dream. And his hands, which had been modestly wrapped around Kate's shoulders or draped across her knees all night, were now tracing circles around the inside of her thigh.

"What are you doing?" Kate bit her lower lip, a smile curling the corners upward, and she leaned in closer.

"What this?" Castle averted his eyes to his roaming hands, a drunk, dopy smile animating his features. "Hey, some people get happy drunk, some weepy, others reckless. I just happen to get handsy. Are you complaining?"

On stage, a woman shrieked out the final notes of "Don't Stop Believing," and Castle pulled his hands up to clap. Kate grabbed them and placed them back on her legs. "Only when you stop." Her hands went to his shirt, toying with each translucent button until she reached the top one and popped it open. "That's better."

"Better for distracting the judges with my chiseled pecks," he laughed and popped open another button to play along.

Kate nodded toward the judges table. "It does it for me, babe, but I'm not sure how distracting it will be for them."

Castle followed her gaze, and his blushed cheeks grew a shade darker as he eyed the three elderly gentlemen sitting behind a booth taking notes. "Hey, don't underestimate my charm," he recovered, watching as all three pairs of eyes glazed over as a twenty-something blonde hopped on stage, the contents of her pushup bra bouncing along with her. "On second thought, this one is all on you."

Kate laughed as Castle buttoned his shirt back up. "Do you really think so little of our singing ability that you believe the only way we could possibly win is for me to use my feminine wiles?"

"No, I just think very highly of your feminine wiles," Castle teased as he ran his hand down her side, smoothing out the creases in her sun dress.

Kate wasn't sure if it was Castle's touch or the dizzying effects of the alcohol but she could swear his hand was conducting electricity as it traced a line from her ribs down to her hip bone, leaving a ridge of goose bumps in its wake. When he finally pulled it away, she could still feel the heat pressing into her side, and she wished he would put it back. Her skin felt bare and exposed, cold even, without the steady, rhythmic caressing.

Despite the noise and movement around them, she found her eyes locked on Castle, mesmerized by the seductive, lustful way in which he looked at her, like he was mentally undressing her, imagining how the rest of their night might play out. She let her own mind wander, drawing pictures of candle lit rooms and rumpled satin sheets. She imagined how good, how right, it would feel to fall into their bed, the weight of his body pressing her into the mattress, her legs wrapped around his waist pinning him down.

Castle caught Kate staring at him, and he knew their thoughts were on the same thing. It was like looking in a mirror, the way he could see the desire radiating off her body, like heat shimmering off the pavement in the middle of summer. It was tangible, and he wanted to reach out and touch it. Without her saying a word, he could hear the ways she was imagining being touched. The ways she was imagining touching him. He read it in the way her muscles tensed. The way she bit into her lower lip as her eyes scanned his features. The way her fingers traced over the path he had just followed down her side.

Kate saw Castle's lustful stare turn into a smirk, and she knew she had been made. She quickly turned her attention back to the stage, slightly embarrassed by her transparency. They had moved on to duets, and a pair of young girls were belting out an up tempo Katy Perry song, matching their gyrations to the beat of the music. "So are you at all curious about what song we're going to be singing?" Kate asked, surprising herself with how calm and unaffected she was able to sound.

"Yes, but I didn't think asking was going to do me any good. You know, the whole what goes around comes around thing."

"I considered that," she said. "But winning suddenly seems more fun than torturing you." A fierce, competitive look flashed across her face. "Besides," she clutched the edge of the table, "the bartender was underselling that drink when he said it would make you tipsy. I think I'm a little beyond tipsy. Coming up with a game plan might not be such a bad idea."

Castle let out a loud, exaggerated sigh. "Phew, that's a relief. Here I thought it was just me feeling the effects." He started laughing at nothing in particular and Kate joined in. Castle tried to regain composure, pressing his lips together to hold back the laughter, but all that succeeded in doing was expanding his mouth with air until he looked like a hamster overstuffing his cheeks with food. Kate laughed louder at Castle's failed attempt and found herself gasping for air after.

"I guess tonight we both go down as giggly drunks too," she said in breathy bursts.

"So what's the song?" Castle asked, his hushed voice suddenly deafening in the silence around them. They both looked around, waiting to see what was going on.

The young DJ at the front of the bar tapped on his microphone. "That's Rick Castle and Kate Beckett," he repeated, and Castle realized that everyone else in the bar was also looking around, tentatively waiting for someone to step up.

"Yo Rick, you're up," someone shouted from a few tables over. He looked to where the voice came from and saw Chief Brady lounging, beer in hand. "I'm not going to have to arrest you two for interfering with an official karaoke night, am I?" His stern face broke into a broad smile, and he banged on the table, imitating a drum roll as he laughed at his joke.

Castle waved at the Chief. "You arrest me for this and I'll report you for stealing all my money at poker night last month." The chief threw his hands back.

"I'll let it slide. Now get up on that stage already, will you? You're holding up the show."

Castle extended his hand to Kate. "So much for preparedness."

Kate rose from her seat, her balance a little off, and followed Castle up to the stage. She hadn't been nervous the entire evening, but now, standing on the stage with the spotlight shining down and a microphone in her hand, she could feel her pulse quicken. The room seemed to be swaying back and forth. Or maybe it was just her. She couldn't be sure.

"You're going to be great." She felt Castle's sturdy hand on the small of her back, and she felt instantly grounded.

The DJ stepped off to the side and pushed a series of buttons on his console. When the music started up, Castle's mouth twisted into a smile. Of course he knew this song, and he knew exactly why Kate had picked it.

Kate nodded to him to take the first line as she seductively leaned closer, her eyes dark and intense, and ran her hand through his hair. The crowd hooted in response, fueling the performance.

Castle started to sing, his voice smoky and deep.

_"Those fingers in my hair_

_That sly come-hither stare_

_That strips my conscience bare_

_It's witchcraft"_

Kate walked behind him, her hand grazing over his shoulder. She walked her fingers down his arm, amused as the same goose bumps she had earlier sprung up on his arm. She picked up the song where Castle left off.

_"And I've got no defense for it_

_The heat is too intense for it_

_What good would common sense for it do?"_

Her voice started out low—with a sexy, gravelly tone that made Castle's head spin. In the middle of her part he reached out and pulled Kate toward him until they were face to face, only inches apart. If he thought the alcohol made him feel intoxicated, it was nothing compared to how delirious Kate's close proximity made him.

When the booming refrain kicked in, Castle and Kate belted out the rest of the song together.

_"Cause it's witchcraft, wicked witchcraft."_

Their flirtatious act turned playful and then downright silly as Castle started dancing, rotating his hips and rocking his pelvis back and forth—a move Kate could only assume was left over from his brief Elvis impersonation stint in Atlantic City. By the end of the song she was laughing so hard she could barely sing, but the audience was cheering so loudly it didn't appear to matter anyway.

As the music faded, Kate pulled Castle in and kissed him, much to the delight of the audience and Castle.

"So what do you say we head home and you can put some of that witchcraft to good use." Castle set their microphones down, and they took a quick bow before hopping of the stage.

"You don't want to stay around and see if we won?" she teased, her thumb already running circles around the back of his hand.

Castle rubbed his chin like he was seriously contemplating her suggestion. "Hmmm…bewitching fiancé or a seashell trophy?" He held his hands up like he was balancing a scale. "Bewitching fiancé or a seashell trophy? It's a hard one."

"Is it now?" Kate averted her eyes downward.

"Detective Beckett."

Kate grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the exit. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

"So is that your secret?" Castle asked as they strolled back up the path toward the beach house, hand in hand. "All these years you've been using witchcraft to make me fall in love with you. Here I thought it was just your intelligence, passion, and beauty."

Kate squeezed his hand. She felt happy and light, like the ocean breeze might just carry her away. "And how about getting me to sing with you? Are we calling that witchcraft too?"

"No, I believe we're calling that flattery, bribery, and then a little alcohol for good measure. Speaking of bribery…let me here it. What's my other condition?"

"Well," Castle could already hear the excitement in her voice, "there are actually two conditions."

"I'm listening," he said. They arrived at the house, and Castle pulled out his keys and let them in. Kate kicked off her sandals and walked over to the living room blinds, slowing lowering them.

"First," she walked back to Castle and began working her fingers around his shirt buttons, "I'm amending my initial request."

Castle watched her small fingers work the buttons. When the last one was dislodged, she pushed the shirt down his arms and laid it across the back of the couch before moving on to his belt.

"I said sleep naked," she continued, "when what I meant was do everything naked…all weekend long." She coyly smiled as she tugged the belt loose and laid it on top of his shirt.

"I think that can be arranged." His voice was already shallow and breathy, his mind distracted by the sensation of her fingers manipulating the zipper on his pants. "And what's the second condition?"

Kate pushed his pants down until they were pooling around his ankles. Then she reached up, pulled at the ties holding her own dress in place and let it fall to floor along with his pants. She looked up at him, smiling, and without a hint of sarcasm said, "That the first condition applies to both of us."

The look on Castle's face said it all. He lunged forward, closing the space between them and kissed her deeply. When they parted, he shimmied out of his boxers and playfully eyed her underwear. "I believe only one of us is currently meeting the conditions of the agreement. Why don't you take care of that and meet me in the bedroom," he winked at her, before bounding down the hall toward the staircase.

Kate smiled, happy to have the weekend playing out exactly how she intended, karaoke bar bribery or not.

* * *

**Let me know what you think! Are you happy with how it played out? I debated having a funny condition or a more sincere/romantic one and went with the latter. I really enjoyed writing this. If you haven't checked out my other story Forward Motion please do so. I will be back to writing that one more now that this one is done. **


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